Page 15 of Rusty

On top of that, Janice knew Ethan. She remembered him and Silas from all those years ago, when she’d dated Rusty, who was their brother. Back then, she’d had no idea Ethan was a Daddy Dom. The thought of him spanking her butt was very strange. She had always wanted to be spanked, but only really by a boyfriend. Not by an ex-boyfriend’s brother, that was for sure!

“That’s a relief about Chuck,” said Janice. “I really would like to stay here. I’m just a little worried about how it might work out with Rusty being around.”

Sara nodded. “You two were together a long time ago, right? Ethan mentioned it, but didn’t go into details. Must be strange seeing him again.”

“Right,” said Janice. “It was ten years ago. We shared so many dreams back then, and I thought he was my forever. But then he broke up with me out of the blue, and . . . well, that was that."

Sara looked at Janice with sympathy. "That must've been really hard for you," she said gently. "But this is a new chapter in your life, and you don't have to let that fear control you. You're strong, Janice, and you can make your own choices."

"Thank you, Sara," whispered Janice, touched by her friend's support. As they continued their trek, the soft rustling of the wind through the grass accompanied their journey, creating a gentle melody that seemed to lull the group into a peaceful trance.

Zoey rode at the front, her laughter ringing through the air like a tinkling bell as she chased after a particularly colorful butterfly that danced on the breeze.

The trail wound through a lush meadow dotted with vibrant wildflowers, each one a splash of color against the sea of green. Janice took a long, deep breath as she soaked it all in.

“So . . . what happened between you and Rusty?” Sara asked suddenly, pulling Janice out of her thoughts. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

Janice bit her lip. "He was my Daddy," she revealed hesitantly. "We were engaged.”

“Oh wow,” breathed Sara. “It was serious.”

“We dreamed of owning our own ranch one day, raising horses and cattle together." Janice paused, tasting the bitterness on her tongue as she prepared to say what happened next. “But then he ended things just like that." She sighed. "I still don't understand why he didn’t think I deserved an explanation. He just cut me out of his life completely."

"I'd be wary of someone if they treated me like that," Sara admitted. Sensing Janice’s sadness, she added: “But anyway, who needs grumpy old exes? Why don’t you come to the Nursery with us all after this? Have some fun! Let loose! There’s more to life than big old stinky Daddies.”

Janice smiled weakly. “Yeah. I’d like that. Thanks.”

The pony trek had been exactly what Janice needed. It had lifted her spirits and provided a sense of freedom she hadn't felt in a long time.

Janice felt torn. If Rusty hadn't been at the ranch, she might have found it easier to let go of her baggage. Even with him here, Janice was determined to make progress. Learning to interact with other Littles had to be a positive step in her journey.

Back when she and Rusty had been together, Janice had only known one or two Littles. Silas had dated a Little here or there, although Ethan had been more secretive. Now, she was surrounded by like-minded people—people who didn't feel ashamed about who they were. And that was liberating.

“Janice?” asked Sara. “Are you coming to the Nursery now?”

“Sure,” said Janice. “Although I might just walk by the horse pastures first.”

Sara nodded. “Okey-dokey. See you there!”

“See you there, Janice!” said Rosemary, giving her an over-enthusiastic wave.

Poor Rosemary still felt bad about knocking over her willow sculpture, but she didn’t need to. It had obviously been an accident. Janice felt bad about making such a big deal of it, and calling herself stupid, too. She never meant to put herself down like that. It just kind of tumbled out of her sometimes.

Janice made her way to the pastures. She walked slowly, her thoughts tangled with memories of Rusty and the words Sara had spoken earlier. “Wary” was the word Sara had used and it was a good one. Janicedidneed to be wary. Rusty had ghosted her ten years ago, and Daddy Doms of all people shouldn’t behave like that.

Plus, Rusty seemed to be ghosting her again now. She hadn’t heard a peep from him since they’d spoken a couple of days ago. That was typical Rusty. Act like he cared one minute then give her the cold shoulder the next. He probably regretted telling herhe wanted to help her. Or maybe Chuck had told him to stay away.

As she approached the stables, she heard the gentle rumble of Rusty's voice and paused. Peering around the corner, she saw him sitting on a hay bale, reading aloud from a worn book to Snickers. Her eyes widened when she heard what he was saying.

"Cade bent down and kissed her heaving bosom," Rusty read, his voice tender as he read the steamy words.

Snickers listened intently, her ears pricked forward and eyes full of trust.

Was he reading a romance novel . . . to ahorse?

Janice's heart clenched at the sight. She had always known Rusty had a soft spot for animals, but this was ridiculous. A smile played on her lips, despite herself, but she decided not to make her presence known.

Careful not to make a sound, Janice tiptoed past the stable. She hadn’t walked past the pastures to see Rusty, after all. She had wanted to see Snickers. Ever since she’d first laid eyes on the horse, she’d known that Snickers was special. Poor thing was in a dreadful state. It had been Snickers, kicking the gate on that first night when she sneaked into the ranch. Ever since then, Janice had wanted to get some alone time with her. She had a hunch, from the way that Snickers tilted her head to one side, that the mare was suffering from neck pain, and she wanted the chance to test out her theory with a little light manual therapy.

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